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Bilbao effect

Bilbao effect noun: the potential of iconic architecture (starchitecture) to act as a catalyst for the economic revitalization of a city of region.

Noun

Bilbao effect (plural Bilbao effects)

  1. (urban studies) The potential of iconic architecture (starchitecture) to act as a catalyst for the economic revitalization of a city of region.
    • Abu Dhabi's leader talk of using the museum to ‘brand’ the city, of duplicating the ‘Bilbao Effect’.2010, Don Thompson, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark, Aurum Press Limited, →ISBN
    • Does the Guggenheim actually encourage creativity in the city, as advertised, or is it a Disneylandish castle on the hill with a fancy name and an expensive entrance fee for tourists and the well-heeled? Is the Bilbao effect to spread culture, or just to spread money?2015 April 30, Chris Michael, “The Bilbao Effect: is 'starchitecture' all it’s cracked up to be? A history of cities in 50 buildings, day 27”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

Forms of Bilbao effect

pluralBilbao effects

Origin of Bilbao effect

Named after the Spanish city of Bilbao, where the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in 1997 was part of a revitalization effort which transformed the city into a popular tourist destination. Often attributed to the English writer Jonathan Meades.

Questions about Bilbao effect

What does Bilbao effect mean?
Bilbao effect means the potential of iconic architecture (starchitecture) to act as a catalyst for the economic revitalization of a city of region.
What part of speech is Bilbao effect?
Bilbao effect is a noun.
What is the plural of Bilbao effect?
The plural of Bilbao effect is Bilbao effects.

Words near Bilbao effect in the dictionary

  1. bilayer
  2. bilayered
  3. bilayerlike
  4. bilayers
  5. Bilbao
  6. Bilbao effect
  7. Bilbao effects
  8. Bilbaoan
  9. Bilbaoans
  10. bilberried
  11. bilberries

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: Bilbao effect (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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